一分快3 The world classic The Thorn Birdswas one of the best examples of Australian writer Colleen McCullough. Since its publication in 1977, the book has gone viral in the United States and is synonymous with the godfather as one of the top 10 best-selling books in the United States. It quickly became a global "international novel", has been adapted into a movie, made into a TV series, fill into tapes, was one of the best seller throughout the 80 s.

The story and background

1.1

The Thorn Birdswas an Australian family life novel, with the heroine Meggie and father Ralph's love entanglements as the main line, described the story of a family of three generations of the Cleary's family, the time span of more than half a century. Ralph was obsessed with the power of the Vatican, but he fell in love with the daughter of the shepherd, Cleary's daughter, Meggie. Ralph's heart was in the deep contradiction between power and love, which lead to a series of touching stories. The novel centers on the two protagonists, and unfolds the joys and sorrows of the more than ten members of the Cleary's family. In particular, the time span of the novel happened to cross the second world war, so the conflict between the two generations' different outlook on life was remarkable. The plot twists and turns vivid, the structure is close and delicate, the writing is fresh and graceful.

Literature review

1.2

There are numerous studies on the work of The Thorn Birdsat home and abroad. Foreign scholars started with the author biographies and reviews of the book, and it was mostly based on the evaluation and analysis of Colleen McCullough, and the reviews were different, some reviews were not so good, but the others thought that the literary value was not high, and it was a strong contrast between the intensity and the negative, the enthusiasm and the apathy. One of the earlier studies on the Colleen McCulloughwas Mary Jean Demarr'sMcCullough, Colleen: a critical companion(MaryJean Demarr,1996). This book systematically introduced the biographical data of Colleen McCulloughand comments on the published novels. It is considered that Colleen McCulloughis a versatile novelist. Her novel style is unique and full of romanticism. She is also unique in plot design and character image setting, and is a rare companion for life. There are few published in journal of important biography, such as ED Deva Mote of The Colleen McCullough, (ED Deva Mote, 1997), "in his biography, excepted for introducing Colleen McCullough, its main novels also pointed out that fussin attack Colleen published in" The ladies of Missalonghi ", The book has been accused of plagiarism by Lucy Maud Montgomery of author of Blue Castle, but Colleen McCulloughdenied it. In the book review, one Canadian reader wrote: "I have a few books that I often revisit, and the thorn birds is one of them. I think it's one of the greatest love stories of all time, and it's like the love of romeo and Juliet. (Colleen McCullough, 1). The Boston Post described it as a fascinating, gripping and impressive legend. The Washington Post praised it as "a long and compelling book." (Colleen McCullough, 1). Publishers Weekly also noted that "two generations of love and hate, drama, tension and believable descriptions are the main reasons for seduction." (Colleen McCullough, 1) The Times of London also said: "you will read it with a strong sense of curiosity and desire, and you will enjoy every chapter of it, and you will clap your hands after reading it." (Colleen McCullough, 1). But not everyone is optimistic about the novel of The Thorn Birds, such as Steven Kroll, in his "Review of The Thorn Birds" (Steven Kroll, 1977), The article argued that although the book structure and improve the construction and the world of a moving, romantic, but novels described the content of too single, such as description of drogheda too frequently, made the novel was very monotonous, and there was no falling rock ups and downs of the plot and lack of drama, the novel was such a film was not worth the public attention.

According to the content of CNKI, domestic scholars mainly focus on the following aspects:

一分快3 The exploration of the tragedy of love in novels. Scholars have discussed this theme from the expression of love tragedy, the interpretation of love tragedy and the inevitability of love tragedy. Zhang Xiaolian thought the love tragedy embodied in three aspects: the first, love and shall not be, but not confused, the heroine not of the person you like, people don't get, inner confused and lost; the second, the split personality, the tortured soul, the intense desire to be repressed by the cruel reality, so that the protagonist's personality split, the soul is suffering; third, the tragic ending, the protagonist pays a heavy price for love, for love and died for love. (Zhang Xiaolian, 2010) Sun fan interpreted this love tragedy, "the thorn bird" as a literary image in the beginning of the whole novel, the climax, the end of the three positions, the metaphor throughout, reveals the theme of this charming novel: love and destiny. "(Sun fan, 29-31) Chen Jingyan talked about the inevitability of this tragedy, "Meggieand father Ralph’s love tragedy, exposed the hypocrisy of religion and relentless, even swear that Ralph had devoted his life to god, all doubt the existence of god. Their love tragedy is inevitable and inevitable. (Chen Jingyan, 27-29)

The discussion of female consciousness. The scholars mainly discussed the female self - consciousness and the love view of women embodied in the female characters of the novel. According to Huang Xiaoli, "the author uses a unique female perspective to examine the characteristics of women, and also reflects on the female consciousness and its form in the embryonic stage." (Huang Xiaoli, 50-52). "From the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, with the development of the feminist movement, women's self-consciousness was constantly awakening in different stages, showing the women who were repressed by patriarchy, from spontaneous resistance to self-conscious struggle to change their fate and their own feminist thoughts," Zhao said. "(Zhao Jia, 170-171) It showed that in the particular era of the story of the thorn birds, women have begun to actively pursue the independent consciousness of the individual. In the book of Pain Growing in Love - Reading The Thorn Birdsof Three Women in The Image of The Pursuit of Love The Thorns Road, scholars analyzed the three women characters thorns road of the pursuit of love and they love. Although several characters have different personalities, their path of life and the path of love are full of hardships, which also represents the female "living for love" (Mao Hui, 57-59).

The discussion of the characters and the fate of the characters. Scholars mainly discussed the characters and their tragic fate. Zhang Yan analyzed Ralph's image in the novel, the author thought that "father Ralph were similar among the outstanding figures, it not only appearance, mind, and character, and character is" beautiful "". He sought the beauty of the supreme state of mind and god. However, in the contradiction between power and love, spirit and meat, father Ralph lost his beauty and finally went to the abyss of tragedy. (Zhang Yan., 59-62). Chen has constructed four male characters, and he believes that the characters of the novel are mainly about the characteristics of the thorn birds (Chen Jingyan, 1-4). Niu Lijun explained that the hero, Ralph, was in an invisibility ring prison, and was subject to the tragic fate of the space isolation and hierarchical surveillance imposed by the discipline power. The story told us that "the whole of life depends on the companionship of love and reason, and the companionship of love." (Niu Lijun, 49-52)

For the study of thorn birds, the theme of "tragedy" runs through the above studies. Therefore, this paper will also explore the tragic fate and causes of father Ralph, the hero of the story, from the theme of "tragedy".

Research methods

1.3

This paper discusses the characteristics of individual characters by using the way of detailed reading of text. Detailed reading of text from an important school of western literary theory in the 20th century-semantics, this school has used semantic analysis as the most basic method and means of literary criticism. The text reading is the important method and characteristic of semantics to interpret the text. Its basic features are: first, text centered. Secondly, the influence of context on semantic analysis is emphasized. Third, emphasized the internal organizational structure of the text. The following materials are collected: characters description, characters dialogue, psychological activities, story background and related comments. The reliability and validity of the information can stand up to repeated arguments and arguments.

Research purpose and significance

1.4

1.4.1 purpose

一分快3 The purpose of this project is to study the tragedy of father Ralph in the literary works of the thorn birds, and to analyze the tragedy in the western novels.

1.4.2 significance

As a classic in western literature, thorn birds is chosen to study the tragic theme in western novels.

2

The Thorn Birdsportrays the tragic image of father Ralph, whose tragic image is embodied as a perfect priest, a derelict lover, a father and a soul victim.

2.1

一分快3 Ralph, on the face of it, he was a perfect priest. He was the messenger of god, a clergyman. He was a gifted linguist, fluent in German, Italian and Greek, and was a rare diplomat in the church. Ralph was the best of the men, tall and handsome, with an elegant look, and everyone who knew Ralph marveled, "his face is so beautiful, so striking, so radiant."

2.2 T

一分快3 Ralph was a Catholic priest, but he fell in love with Meggie. Naturally, Meggie and Ralph should be together. However, Ralph received a legacy of 13 million and was able to rise above the church. The lust for power led him to abandon Meggie for the first time. After he became a bishop, he met Meggie, and this time he fell in love with Meggie, but once again he abandoned Meggiefor power, and Meggie was pregnant. It was his failure as a lover. After he gave birth to a child, he did not accompany the child, but learned the truth after his own child died, failing to fulfill his duties and duties as a father.

2.3 The victims of the soul

In view of that depth, he is the victim of the soul. Ralph was the "perfect priest" on the outside, but deep inside, the soul was suffering. The more perfect the external image, the deeper the pain in the soul. From Ralph's life, he was in a state of split personality. In the presence of god, he must be a dedicated priest, who cannot break the sacred oath, must keep the soul and the body pure, and serve the church for life; In front of Meggie, he was a passionate lover, eager to have the joys of normal people.So his soul is being tortured.

3

一分快3 Father Ralph's tragic fate had been pointed out from the beginning of the thorn birds. The author wrote the story of the thorn bird in the head of the thorn bird:

一分快3 There is a legend about a bird Which sings just once in its life? More sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest,sharpest spine. And, dying it rises above its own agony to out carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and god in his heaven smiles.For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain or so says the legend.

一分快3 ——the Legend about the Thorn Birds

The legend of The Thorn Birds, the author of the novel, is laid out on the end of the novel, to suggest the tragic fate of the characters. Father Ralph's tragic fate is reflected in the following three aspects: he and his lover can't be in love with each other, they are bound by power in the bishop's identity, and tragedy of losing young loved ones.

3.1 Not to be in love with a lover

Ralph fell in love with Meggie at first sight. When he met Meggie, he was deeply infatuated with her. Her pure appearance and simple character had an irresistible attraction to Ralph. But in the face of such a relationship, Ralph was afraid to accept that he was still a godfather, a god, a faith, and could not have such a feeling. He finally chose god. But the pain in his heart was palpable, and the agony of becoming a non-italian cardinal was extreme. For he knew clearly that he had broken his oath, that he was guilty before god, and that he was guilty in the presence of Meggie .

3.2 Being bound by power in the identity of the bishop

Ralph was loyal to god, a pious godfather, and a good clergyman. For the sake of the church's well-being, he was willing to give a whole lot to the church, to win the 13 million pound of Mary's fortune for aunt Meggie, and to lay the foundation for her career. All he did was to get closer to god and to serve god better.

3.3 The tragedy of losing young loved ones

After the holiday in Matlock Island, Meggie had a son, but didn't tell him. Fourteen years later, when Ralph returned to Droghedafor his holiday, he was in his middle age, and he saw that the boy, who was more perfect and purer than himself, adored himself, vaguely believing that the perfect teenager was a pity for Luke's son. Dane was so intent on serving god that Meggie had to agree, and wrote to Ralph to ask him to look after Dane. But god did not allow Ralph to enjoy it. After 26 years, god finally realized his greatest punishment for Ralph. Dane was ruthlessly taken away by death. With his son drowned, the body can't be returned to his hometown, and Meggie, who was in a hurry to find Ralph in Rome. Meggiewas eager to tell him that Dane was his own son. Ralph broke down and cried, "falling from his chair." The accidental death of his son finally led him to realize that his life was too timid to serve god, and that his success was so meaningless that he finally turned his back on god.

4

一分快3 The western tragedy theory is to explore the origin of father Ralph's tragic fate. The theory of western tragedy can be divided into two types, one is affirmation of the existence of historical justice, and the other is the existence of negative historical justice. However, the western tragedy theory of historical justice can be divided into two directions because of the different reasons for finding the tragedy. That is to say, the western theory of tragedy can be roughly divided into three orientations, those initiated by Aristotle and developed and integrated by Schiller and Hegel's theory of tragedy, the second is done by Chernyshevsky put forward by Marx and Engels's theory of tragedy, third, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche's tragic theory. The first two trends are affirming the existence of historical justice, and the latter trend is to deny the existence of historical justice. (熊元义,余三定.7-17)

From father Ralph's image and tragic fate, his tragic formation is related to the following factors.

4.1 Self

一分快3 In the development history of the western tragedy theory, the first one is the tragic theory of affirming historical justice. This theory of western tragedy is the tragic theory created by Aristotle, and from Schiller to Hegel. This theory of western tragedy not only grasps the tragedy on the moral level, but also explores the causes of tragedy from the tragic characters. Father Ralph's tragedy is, in fact, the main reason for him. From the definition of the legend of The Thorn Birds, the thorn birds are doomed to be a tragedy.

4.1.1 The pursuit of power

Father Ralph, dressed in the cloak of religion, as a Puritan, had to serve god, and in order to become a perfect priest, Ralph abandoned all ambition and all desire, and he said to his son Dane, "do you understand that there can never be any other love between him and you, you are his own, and for him to have everything else?" (Colleen McCullough, 548). "you know what exists in all things in his will, serves god you must put your personality, the existence of individuals as well as the concept of your these all bury something of great importance?" (Colleen McCullough,549). But deep in Ralph's heart, Meggie's shadow moved his heart and made him miserable. While clinging to the divine right and material desire, also deeply love beautiful Meggie. Ralph, who is deeply religious in his mind, will only realize his own value in the conflict between his own value and social history, thus abandoning the sacred love. Cardinal Ralph, the cardinal, was at the top of his life, enjoying the pleasure of power, and suffering from the pain of love.

4.1.2 Ignore your own emotions

一分快3 Ralph always attributed his love to Meggie to a love for the little girl, but he knew exactly what it was in his heart. "the last thing he wanted to admit was that she filled the void in his life, which his god could not do, because she was a human being with love and love." Maggie's unloved, unhappy marriage, heartbroken by her own child's hard labor, still painfully chose his faith.

4.2 External

一分快3 Chernychevsky, Marx and Engels put forward against the former theory of tragedy theory, namely from the external environment of life tragedy character for the social and historical cause of tragedy. Its development trend is not summarized in time, but is summarized logically. In time, Marx and Engels used the concept of tragedy much earlier than Chernyshevsky. This external factor has certain influence on father Ralph's character tragedy.

4.2.1 The barrier of others

In the novel, other characters have a certain influence on Ralph's tragic fate. Like Mary. Mary had always loved Ralph, but he said to Mary, "I'm not a man, Mary, I'm a priest." When Ralph refused Mary's kiss on the pretext of "I am a priest", her immediate reaction was "Ralph, how hypocritical you are, hypocritical man, hypocritical priest!" At this point, she was right in her caustic instinct to flash a bright spot. She saw Ralph's special attitude towards him, jealous, determined to find revenge. Before she died, she changed her will, dedicated her entire estate to the church, and claimed that it was because of the excellent work of father Ralph, that Ralph chose between love and faith.

4.2.2 A lover's infirmity

Meggie and Ralph's unique personality traits and very different life experiences make them attractive to each other, which is one of the important reasons for their love tragedy. Meggie fell hopelessly in love with him, even though he knew he could not marry, and could not fulfill her husband's promise. The two men clicked with each other, but Ralph's special identity was destined to be a tragedy. However, as a woman who grew up in ordinary family and influenced by family values, Meggie also cherished the yearning for love and the expectation of marriage. So when she finally knew that Ralph could not marry her, she resolutely married Luke, a young man who looked like Ralph. It also led to the departure of father Ralph and his lover, and finally his tragic fate.

5

5.1 Conclusion

一分快3 As a female writer, Colleen McCullough has created three generations of "thorn birds" in the novel. However, father Ralph, the hero of the novel, also has the tragic fate of "thorn birds". Therefore, this paper takes father Ralph as the research object and discusses the characters and tragic causes of the same tragic fate as the thorn birds. From the perspective of the development of the western tragedy theory, father Ralph's character tragedy has both internal and external factors. From the characters themselves, father Ralph's image as a thorn bird is itself a tragic fate, destined to find his own thorn and die. From the external environment, the background of the time, the obstacles of others to the relationship, and the mistrust between lovers are also the indirect factors contributing to the tragedy of the characters.

5.2 Revelation

一分快3 Western countries pay more attention to the spirit of tragedy and will, so we should understand literary works from the perspective of theoretical development.

5.3 Research limitations and future research directions

一分快3 At present, the research of this paper is limited to the in-depth analysis of the text content, and there is no comprehensive consideration for the social environment, the personal growth environment of the author and the reading psychology of the readers. Therefore, these factors are taken into account in future studies.